Photos and original material in Brazilian:
http://www.viasantos.com/intersindical/
AN AGREEMENT COULD BE REACHED MONDAY, 9 APRIL. COMPANIES ACCEPT USING UNION CRITERIA FOR LABOUR SELECTION. PORT OCCUPIED BY POLICE.
The acceptance, on the part of Órgão Gestor de Mão-de-Obra (Ogmo, the Labour Management Agency) of the Stevedores Union’s traditional criteria for labour selection in the Port of Santos, could lead to an agreement today, 9 April. The unions in other Brazilian ports remain on “alert” since Saturday afternoon, watching the re-opening of talks which had been suspended by the employers. In a mass meeting on Sunday night, the stevedores decided to continue their action. A new meeting is scheduled for today, 9 April. The Presidents of the Stevedores Union, Vanderlei José da Silva, and of the Bloc Workers (ship repair and maintenance), João Saldanha da Fonseca, travelled to the Federal Capitol Brasília to re-open negotiations with the Ministry of Labour. They returned in the afternoon for the mass meeting. The stoppage is now in its 13th day.
SEPARATE AGREEMENTS - The workers’ optimism is partially due to a separate agreement between the Union and the firm Ultrafértil which operates one of the private terminals. The workers return to the terminal today. The company accepted the union rules of selection. According to the unionists, another four agencies representing port operators are disposed to reach separate agreements outside the ambit of Ogmo. The information was conveyed to the workers on Saturday evening, 7 April, one day after the employers had abandoned talks with the unions. Despite these perspectives, the campaign continues to collect food and resources to sustain the movement, should it continue.
PORT OCCUPIED - The entire port area is occupied by Military Police, with armoured vehicles positioned at the gates of private terminals and in strategic areas of the quayside. Armed men occupy the crane platforms and bridges intended for container movement, while a helicopter patrols the port area. The police action employs 250 shock troops and an undisclosed number of sharpshooters.
